Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Xiaomi 17 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra scores 8.2 in our rating, and the Xiaomi 17 Ultra scores 8.4. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra leads in design, while the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is ahead in camera and battery. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is the newer phone, announced Feb 25, 2026.
Key differences
Why choose the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
- Longer optical zoom 5× vs 4.3×
- Newer model Feb 25, 2026 vs Dec 25, 2025
- Lighter 214 g vs 218.4 g
- Thinner 7.9 mm vs 8.29 mm
- Higher screen resolution 1440 × 3120 px vs 1200 × 2608 px
Why choose the Xiaomi 17 Ultra
- Bigger battery 6,000 mAh vs 5,000 mAh
- Silicon-carbon battery
- Faster wired charging 90 W vs 60 W
- Brighter screen 3,500 nits vs 2,600 nits
- Faster wireless charging 50 W vs 25 W
- Faster storage type UFS 4.1 vs UFS 4.0
PhoneRanked scores
Calculated from specs, relative to phones from the same year and price range. How we rate phones
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26 UltraXiaomi 17 Ultra
Overall
8.2
8.4
Display
8.4
8.5
Performance
9.0
9.0
Camera
8.7
8.9
Battery
6.6
8.0
Design
8.6
8.3
Software support
9.2
—
Value for money
5.9
6.0
Display
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26 UltraXiaomi 17 Ultra
Size
6.9 inches
6.9 inches
Type
OLED, Dynamic AMOLED 2X
OLED, Xiaomi HyperRGB OLED
Resolution
1440 × 3120 px
1200 × 2608 px
Pixel density
—
416 ppi
Refresh rate
120 Hz
120 Hz
Adaptive refresh
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Peak brightness
2,600 nits
3,500 nits
HDR
HDR10+
HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HDR Vivid
Protection
Corning Gorilla Armor 2
Xiaomi Shield Glass 3.0
Performance
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26 UltraXiaomi 17 Ultra
Process
3 nm
3 nm
Max CPU clock
—
4.6 GHz
GPU
Adreno 840
Adreno 840
RAM
12 GB / 16 GB
16 GB
Storage
256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB
512 GB / 1 TB
Storage type
UFS 4.0
UFS 4.1
microSD slot
✕ No
✕ No
Cameras
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26 UltraXiaomi 17 Ultra
Main camera
200 MP, f/1.4, 1/1.3"
50 MP, f/1.67, 1"
Optical stabilization
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Ultrawide
50 MP
50 MP
Telephoto
50 MP, 5× optical, periscope
200 MP, 4.3× optical, periscope
Optical zoom
5×
4.3×
Rear cameras
4
3
Rear video
8K@30
8K@30
Front camera
12 MP
50 MP
Front video
—
4K@60
Battery and charging
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26 UltraXiaomi 17 Ultra
Capacity
5,000 mAh
6,000 mAh
Battery type
Li-Ion
Silicon-carbon
Wired charging
60 W
90 W
Wireless charging
25 W
50 W
Reverse wireless
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Charger in box
✕ No
✕ No
Design and build
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26 UltraXiaomi 17 Ultra
Dimensions
163.6 × 78.1 × 7.9 mm
162.9 × 77.6 × 8.29 mm
Thickness
7.9 mm
8.29 mm
Weight
214 g
218.4 g
Form factor
Bar
Bar
Frame
Aluminum
Aluminum
Back
Glass
Fiberglass
Water resistance
IP68
IP68
Fingerprint
Under-display ultrasonic
Under-display ultrasonic
3D face unlock
✕ No
✕ No
SIM
Nano-SIM + eSIM
Dual Nano-SIM + eSIM
Colors
Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold
Starlit Green, Black, White
Connectivity and features
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26 UltraXiaomi 17 Ultra
5G
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 7
Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth
6.0
6.0
USB
USB-C 3.x
USB-C 3.x
NFC
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
3.5 mm jack
✕ No
✕ No
Stereo speakers
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Satellite
✕ No
✕ No
IR blaster
✕ No
✓ Yes
Software
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26 UltraXiaomi 17 Ultra
OS at launch
Android 16
Android 16
Interface
One UI 8.5
Xiaomi HyperOS 3
OS updates
7 years
—
Security updates
7 years
—
Launch and price
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26 UltraXiaomi 17 Ultra
Announced
Feb 25, 2026
Dec 25, 2025
Released
Mar 11, 2026
Dec 27, 2025
Status
Released
Released
US launch price
$1,299.99
—
Green marks the stronger value in a row. Specs come from official manufacturer data, cross-checked with established tech media; each phone page lists its sources. Report an error
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